Anchor carrier and guide

ABSTRACT

The device serves to position a retrieved anchor on a base mounted on the bow of the boat. It is primarily adapted to an anchor whose fluked yoke is pivoted to its shank and can swing through an angle on each side of the shank. As the anchor passes boat during dropping or retrieving it, the flukes should obviously point away from the boat. The device achieves this end, and also maintains the fully retrieved anchor so balanced that it will begin its descent into the water upon slackening the line attached to it.

6 United States Patent 1 1 3,635,18 Webb 1451 Jan. 18, 1972 [54] ANCHORCARRIER AND GUIDE 3,554,153 11/1971 Davis ..114/210 [72] Inventor: JamesE. Webb, 16031 Market St., Chan- PrimryEmminer 1-rygve mix nelvlew'77530 Assistant Examiner-F. K. Yee 22 Filed: July 6, 1970 Attorney-FrankLedermann [21] Appl, No.: 52,261 57 T C The device serves to position aretrieved anchor on a base [52] U.S. Cl ..114/210 mounted on the bow ofthe boat. It is primarily adapted to an [51] lnt.Cl.... ..B63b 21/22anchor whose fluked yoke is pivoted to its shank and can [58] Field ofSearch ..1 14/210, 206 R, 208 R, 199, swing gh n gl on ch i e f thshank. As the 1 14/200; 254/ 192, 190 R; 242/157 R anchor passes boatduring dropping or retrieving it, the flukes should obviously point awayfrom the boat. The device [56] References Cited achieves this end, andalso maintains the fully retrieved anchor so balanced that it will beginits descent into the water UNITED STATES PATENTS upon slackening theline attached to it.

3,481,301 12/1969 Carroll ..114/210 10 Claims, 11 Drawing FiguresPATENTEDJANIMBYZ 3.635187 SriEU 2 [IF 3 ATTORNEY PATENTEDJANYBBYZ11635187 SHEET 3 BF 3 F IG.8

IJNVENTOR. JAMES E. W EBB ATTORNEY ANCHOR CARRIER AND GUIDE Where thetenn rectangular" is used hereinafter it is meant to define a figurehaving one pair of its opposed sides of greater length than the otherpair; the term therefore does not signify a square. Referring briefly tothe accompanying drawings,

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a small boat's bow,showing in full lines the normal relative position of the variousmembers constituting the device when the anchor is fully retrieved, andin phantom the positions of such of the members as are moveable whilethe anchor is being dropped or retrieved.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the device per se of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of the same.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line4-4 of FIG. 1,with parts broken away showing in phantom the anchor shank in a positionfrom which it is turned in the direction of the arrows upon entering theanchor holder tube.

FIG. 5 is a side view of the anchor per se.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary view showing the anchor shank nearly whollyentered into the holder tube duringretrieval, just before the anchoryoke is automatically swung into position pointing away from the boat.

FIG. 7 is a similar view but showing the relative positions of theholder tube and the anchor yoke with the shank maximally registered inthe tube.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the fixed channel member, per se, of thedevice as viewed from below.

FIG. 9 is a side elevational view, per se, of the moveable channelmember of the device.

FIG. 10 is a bottom plan view of the anchor, per se.

FIG. II is a fragmentary top plan view of the anchor tube, showing amodified detail.

Wherever the positions of the various elements of the instant device arereferred to as normal, it is to be understood that the relativepositions thereof shown in full lines in FIG. I is meant.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral 10, FIG. I designatesthe bow of a small boat to which, in any suitable manner a trough-shapedor channel-shaped member 11 is attached in approximately orsubstantially horizontal position. This member includes a floor 12 andopposed side walls 13. At its outer end the member 11 has the floor 12cut away to provide an end opening or passage 14; that is, in the endportion that extends beyond the bow of the boat. The outer portions 13aof the sidewalls 13, together with the leading edge 20 of the floor,define this passage. A pivot pin 15 is supported between the wallportions 13a.

A second channel-shaped member I6 normally registers and rests in themember 11, and a downward projection 18 from its floor 17 projects intothe opening 14 and the pin 15 extends through this projection and pivotsthe forward end portion of the member I6 to the member II. Theprojection 18 includes at its rear a nose 19 which, when the member 16is swung into the tilted position shown in phantom in FIG. 1, engagesthe forward edge 20 of the floor l2 and is thus stopped from furthertilting.

The member 16 has in its sidewalls 21 coplanar longitudinal slots 22whose forward ends are turned downward to provide notches 23; theseslots are in mutual alignment throughout their length. Additionally, thesidewalls 21 have mutually aligned forwardly extending ears 230.

An anchor-holding tube 24, open at both ends, is oval or rectangular incross section with the rectangle having rounded comers. This whonormally rests in the member 16 and its cross'sectional longer/dimensionis always at right angles to the floors of the members 11 and 16. Thetube has aligned pins or nipples 26 extending from its opposed verticalsidewalls near the rearward extremity of the tube, which nipplesregister slidably in the slots 22. The tube has a second pair of pins ornipples 27 extending from its sidewalls 25 near but spaced from itsforward end. With the device in its normal position, FIG. I, the nipples27 register within the angle or shoulder formed by the ears 23.

An anchor 30 is shown per se in FIG. 5; it includes a shank 28 having arectangular cross section sufficiently complementary to the rectangularcross section of the tube 24 so that it may enter and register in thetube during retrieval. The anchors yoke consists of a shaft 29 supportedpivotally in the lower end ZIIa of the shank, from which shaft flukes 31lying in a common plane at right angles to the plane of the shank,project. Collars 32 are rigid with the shaft 29. A unitary platelike orweblike member 33 overlies the collars 32 and extends in oppositedirections therefrom at right angles to the shaft, thus providingoppositely and substantially tangentially extending wings 34. A slot 35,lying in the same plane as the shank 28, extends nearly throughout thelength of the member 33 but terminates short of the ends of the later.Thus the outer ends of the slot 35 serve as limit stops to the swing ofthe wings 34 and hence of the anchor yoke. A line 35a is secured in anymanner to the upper end 36 of the shank, which end, it is to be noted isrounded as are also the outer longitudinal edges of the shank as isclear in FIG. 4.

It is also to be noted that the lower end of the holder tube 24 has itscircumferential edge 37 wave-shaped to provide a cam surface such that,in case during retrieval of the anchor the shank 28 is not properlyaligned with the tube and thus to enter it, when the shank end 36 meetsthe edge 37 the cam causes the latter to turn into alignment with thetube and thus to enter it. FIG. 4 shows how the shank, on meeting thetube during retrieval in a position (shown in phantom) at right anglesto that necessary for entry, is turned by the cam edge 37 in thedirection of the arrows into the full line position.

NOW first to discuss the dropping of the anchor: FIG. I shows that thestationary pivot pin 15 is a fulcrum about which the tube 24 with theanchor within it and the member I6 may pivot counterclockwise.Preferably the individual parts of the device and their assembly aresuch that the weight of the moveable parts to the left of the saidfulcrum slightly exceeds that of the moveable parts to the rightthereof, so that when the line 35 is slackened or released the tube andthe member 16 will swing clockwise and as soon as such movement has gonea sufficient distance the tube 24 will slide out of the channel 16.During such sliding the nipples 26 on the tube will slide along theslots 22 and drop into the notches 23, thus suspending the tube from themember 16.

The tilting of the member I6 about its pivot 15 is limited by the nosel9 thereon meeting the edge 20 of the floor 12 in the fixed member 11.While the tube is sliding out of the member 16 to its maximum positionshown in phantom in FIG. I, the anchor shank is also sliding out of thetube 24. It is to be noted that the engagement of the nipples 27 withinthe shoulders formed by the ears 230 as mentioned above, prevents theretrieved anchor from bouncing up while the craft is in motion orsubject to vibration.

In retrieving an anchor, and in maintaining it in retrieved position onthe boat, it is obviously desirable that the flukes 31 point from theboat. This is accomplished as illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7. A T-shapedtrip member 38 has its stem 39 mounted on the top forward end of thetube 24 and extending forward a distance beyond the tube edge 37, andits crossmember or trip rod 40 at right angles to the stem. If the shankpasses the edge 37 with the flukes projecting toward the boat, forexample, and enters the tube, as it nears complete entry into the tubethe rod 40 meets the wing 34 on the side away from the boat (FIG. 6) andturns the adjacent wings 34 and hence the shaft 29 and the flukes 31 toproject away from the boat (FIG. 7). Thus, during retrieval of theanchor from the position of the various members of the device shown inphantom in FIG. I, the anchor first enters the tube 24, then the tube isdrawn into the channel member 16 while the latter is also being swungclockwise, and finally the various members come to rest in the relativepositions shown in full lines in FIG. 1.

FIG. 11 shows a modification wherein the trim member 380 has its stem 3%adjustably secured to the tube 24 so that the trip rod 40 may bepositioned at varying distances from the end of the tube. An example ofsuch adjustability is shown in the form of a plurality of spaced screwssecuring the stem to the tube whereby such adjustment may obviously bemade. This adjustable trip permits of shifting of the balance of themoveable parts of the device about the fulcrum 15, to assure that theanchor will start its descent immediately upon slackening or releasingthe line 35. This is because the position of the rod 40 determines thedistance the anchor shank may enter the tube 24.

It is obvious that a roller or pulley may be provided at any place inany of the members ll, 16 and 24 to reduce friction on the line 35; forexample, at the rear end of the tube 24, or at the rear end of themember 16. Such rollers or pulleys would, of course, make the line aboutthem travel more smoothly and resist chafing.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. In combination with an anchor, an anchor carrier and guide comprisinga first channel member fixedly secured to a boat in substantiallyhorizontal position, a second channel member normally registering insaid first member, each of said members consisting of a floor andopposed sidewalls, said first and second members being pivotally joinedon a fulcrum close to the forward end of said first member andrelatively more distant from the forward end of said member, the forwardportion of the floor of being said first member being away beneath saidfulcrum to provide a passage, said second member having alignedlongitudinal slots in the sidewalls thereof, an anchor holder tube openat both ends and normally registering in said second member, said tubehaving a first pair of opposed pins thereon near the rear end thereofregistering in said slots, said anchor having a shank the greaterportion of whose length normally registers in said tube, said shank andsaid tube having complementary oval cross sections, said tube having itslonger cross-sectional dimension in a plane at right angles to saidfloors, means partly on the forward end of said tube and partly on saidanchor limiting the distance said shank can enter said tube duringretrieval of the anchor, said shank having a line secured thereto andextending through said tube and thence along said second member.

2. A combination according to claim 1, said longitudinal slots in saidsecond member extending forward to a position forward of said fulcrum.

3. A combination according to claim 2, the forward extremities of saidlongitudinal slots extending downward to provide notches serving aslimit stops to the forward movement of said tube outward from saidsecond member during dropping of the anchor.

4. A combination according to claim 3, said tube having a second pair ofopposed pins thereon near the forward end thereof, said second memberhaving forwardly projecting ears on the front end thereof, said secondpair of pins normally registering under said ears.

5. A combination according to claim 1, the part of said means which ison said tube comprising a stem extending forward from the top surface ofthe tube beyond said forward end thereof and a trip rod on the outerextremity of said stem at right angles thereto, said anchor having afluked yoke rigid on a shaft pivoted to said shank, a platelike memberrigid with said shaft at the middle thereof and extending equidistantlyfrom both sides thereof to provide oppositely extending wings, saidplatelike member having a continuous slot therethrough whose extremitiesare positioned near the opposed edges thereof, said slot lying in theplane of said shank with the shank extending therethrough, saidextremities of said lastnamed slot providing limit stops to the swingingof said yoke in either direction by engagement with the side edges ofsaid shank, said trip rod engaging whichever of said wings is uppermostas said shank approaches maximal registration in said tube.

6. A combination according to claim 5, the forward edge of said tubebeing wave-shaped into a cam, the upper end of said shank being rounded,said cam and said upper end of said shank together providing means forturning said shank on its longitudinal axis during retrieval of theanchor to mutually align the complementary cross sections of the shankand the tube so that the shank may enter the tube.

7. A combination according to claim 6, said stem having a length suchthat said trip rod engages said one of said wings while said fluked yokeis sufficiently distant from said tube to permit the trip rod to swingthe flukes from one side of the shank to the opposite side.

8. A combination according to claim 7, wherein said one of said wings isupwardly extending wing.

9. A combination according to claim 8, having means for varying thedistance to which said stem extends beyond said forward end of the tube.

10. A combination according to claim 8, said second member having on theunderside thereof a downward extension positioned below said fulcrum andextending through said passage, said extension including a noseengageable with the forward edge of said floor of said first member tolimit the pivotal swinging of said second member about said fulcrum.

1. In combination with an anchor, an anchor carrier and guide comprisinga first channel member fixedly secured to a boat in substantiallyhorizontal position, a second channel member normally registering insaid first member, each of said members consisting of a floor andopposed sidewalls, said first and second members being pivotally joinedon a fulcrum close to the forward end of said first member andrelatively more distant from the forward end of said member, the forwardportion of the floor of being said first member being away beneath saidfulcrum to provide a passage, said second member having alignedlongitudinal slots in the sidewalls thereof, an anchor holder tube openat both ends and normally registering in said second member, said tubehaving a first pair of opposed pins thereon near the rear end thereofregistering in said slots, said anchor having a shank the greaterportion of whose length normally registers in said tube, said shank andsaid tube having complementary oval cross sections, said tube having itslonger cross-sectional dimension in a plane at right angles to saidfloors, means partly on the forward end of said tube and partly on saidanchor limiting the distance said shank can enter said tube duringretrieval of the anchor, said shank having a line secured thereto andextending through said tube and thence along said second member.
 2. Acombination according to claim 1, said longitudinal slots in said secondmember extending forward to a position forward of said fulcrum.
 3. Acombination according to claim 2, the forward extremities of saidlongitudinal slots extending downward to provide notches serving aslimit stops to the forward movement of said tube outward from saidsecond member during dropping of the anchor.
 4. A combination accordingto claim 3, said tube having a second pair of opposed pins thereon nearthe forward end thereof, said second member having forwardly projectingears on the front end thereof, said second pair of pins normallyregistering under said ears.
 5. A combination according to claim 1, thepart of said means which is on said tube comprising a stem extendingforward from the top surface of the tube beyond said forward end thereofand a trip rod on the outer extremity of said stem at right anglesthereto, said anchor having a fluked yoke rigid on a shaft pivoted tosaid shank, a platelike member rigid with said shaft at the middlethereof and extending equidistantly from both sides thereof to provideoppositely extending wings, said platelike member having a continuousslot therethrough whose extremities are positioned near the opposededges thereof, said slot lying in the plane of said shank with the shankextending therethrough, said extremities of said last-named slotproviding limit stops to the swinging of said yoke in either directionby engagement with the side edges of said shank, said trip rod engagingwhichever of said wings is uppermost as said shank approaches maximalregistration in said tube.
 6. A combination according to claim 5, theforward edge of said tube being wave-shaped into a cam, the upper end ofsaid shank being rounded, said cam and said upper end of said shanktogether providing means for turning said shank on its longitudinal axisduring retrieval of the anchor to mutually align the complementary crosssections of the shank and the tube so that the shank may enter the tube.7. A combination according to claim 6, said stem having a length suchthat said trip rod engages said one of said wings while said fluked yokeis sufficiently distant from said tube to permit the trip rod to swingthe flukes from one side of the shank to the opposite side.
 8. Acombination according to claim 7, wherein said one of said wings isupwardly extending wing.
 9. A combination according to claim 8, havingmeans for varying the distance to which said stem extends beyond saidforward end of the tube.
 10. A combination according to claim 8, saidsecond member having on the underside thereof a downward extensionpositioned below said fulcrum and extending through said passage, saidextension including a nose engageable with the forward edge of saidfloor of said first member to limit the pivotal swinging of said secondmember about said fulcrum.